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Freddy Garcia pregame interview

Freddy Garcia pregame interview

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Have you thought much about how you were signed by the Astros and came up through their farm system, now that you're facing them in the World Series? What do you make of the -- the Astros used to sign so many Venezuelan players, and have you thought about that at all?

FREDDY GARCIA: You know, not really, no. I appreciate everything that the Houston organization do for me when they sign me when I was in Venezuela. Good coaching staff, and they do a lot of good things for the players.

Have you been able to tell anything from watching Contreras and Buehrle, the way they pitched to the Astros, the way you might pitch to them as well?

GARCIA: Not really, no. We have different stuff, you know. Contreras throw hard, throw a lot of split. We pitch differently. The only thing we can do is try to throw a strike and pitch when you need it and play hard, also.

Having to face eight regular hitters, will you change the way that you pitch toward the bottom of the order? In other words, will you pass up and maybe move by a seventh or eighth hitter to get to the pitcher's spot?

GARCIA: No, I don't think so. I will pitch the way I've been pitching. I don't want to change my style because I have to face a hitter. I'm going to be aggressive and try to do my job.

I was talking to Jim Hickey, the Astros pitching coach. He said he had you at New Orleans for a short while and also in Venezuela. He said that the matter of stuff you always had, he said just like many young guys you needed to mature a little bit. Is that a fair assessment, is that the way it was?

GARCIA: When I was playing with him, he's a really good guy. He know what he do. He give you a lot of advice, how to pitch.

And I was a little young, but I had really good stuff and, yeah.

Sorry if you've been asked this before, but did you actually predict Scott Podsednik's home run the other night? I think one of your teammates said that.

GARCIA: I was talking with Mark Buehrle, right now, I think he's pissed off because he don't throw the guy on home plate. And he got a big swing and hit the ball out of the ballpark. Yeah, I did it (laughter.)

(In Spanish.) What hitter are you going to face? How are you going to pitch them differently, who's going to hurt you from the Astros lineup?

GARCIA: You've got to be careful with Berkman and Ensberg. They've got three or four guys that can hurt you. A lot of power. And Taveras, and don't let him get on base.

Do you just have to put the short porch in left field out of your mind completely?

GARCIA: No, I don't think about it. I don't really think about it, the left field line. In Boston, almost the same. You've still got get closer to hit the ball...

I just want to find out how your family is and what it's like for your preparation and your outlook to have an addition to your family in the middle of the playoffs?

GARCIA: It's a lot of distraction, but you've got to deal with that. I'm fine right now, really rest. And my family is fine. It's like a distraction but it's a good distraction, it's not a big deal.

The team's been playing loose since you guys held Cleveland off and won the division, was there anything from that you might have learned and allowed you to play loose in the playoffs?

GARCIA: What did you say?

You guys have been playing loose and having a lot of fun since you held Cleveland off and won the division. You almost lost the entire lead you had on Cleveland in the regular season. Was there anything you learned from that experience?

GARCIA: Yeah, we learned that we've got to go to the ballpark every night and play hard. That's what we've been doing all year long. But that's -- that wasn't a big deal, we continued to play how we've been playing. And if we're playing like this tonight and tomorrow, I think we've got a better chance.

Courtesy of FastScripts by ASAP Sports. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.